Bur OakQuercus macrocarpa

The bur oak grows to a height of 70–80' and a spread of around 80' at maturity.

The bur oak grows well in acidic, alkaline, loamy, sandy, well-drained, wet and clay soils. While it prefers moderate moisture, the tree has some drought tolerance.

• Offers dense shade.
• Tolerates pollution and heat stress.
• Features alternating leaves that are 6–12" long with 5–9 lobes separated about halfway down by a pair of particularly deep sinuses.
• Yields acorns that are larger than most others, with a conspicuously fringed cap that extends about halfway down the nut.
• Lives for more than 200–300 years.
• Is also known as the mossycup oak.
• Grows in a rounded shape.
• Is difficult to transplant.

Bur oak acorns are the preferred food for wood ducks, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, rabbits, mice, squirrels and other rodents.

Bur oaks are the dominant trees that grace Arbor Day Farm and the hills and valleys surrounding Nebraska City. There, on the banks of the lower Missouri River, this magnificent oak is close to the heart of its natural range. It is the most western of the eastern oaks, extending all the way to the foothills of the Rockies where it is reduced to a shrub. In pioneer days on the plains, it came to the rescue of unfortunate travelers who needed new wagon tongues, wheel hubs or spokes. Sioux City, Iowa, is the location of the Council Oak, so named because Lewis and Clark held council with the Native Americans under its already 150-year-old branches.